There was big news on the Formula 1 front recently as it was announced that one of its newest races, Las Vegas, was set to be extended through to 2027.
There has been a lot of expansion of Formula 1 in the last few years, with the sport pushing into new cities as it looks to grow its already globally massive brand further. While such progress suits many, for others, some costly setbacks happen when the F1 show pays a visit. Few places feel that more than Las Vegas.
At home in Sin City
The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was held in 2023, a race won by reigning world champion Max Verstappen in his Red Bull. Formula 1, with all of its glitz and glamour, feels at home in Las Vegas. Las Vegas is widely known as the gambling capital of the world.
Sure, there has been a significant rise in the number of online casinos in different countries. For example, in the UK alone there are over 100 legal online platforms about which you can read on Legalcasino.uk, an expert review and comparison website. But Las Vegas is still a huge draw for gamblers from all over the world.
Formula 1 was back on the Las Vegas Strip in 2024, and it’s now confirmed that there will be at least three more races in the city, including this year’s. The 2025 race was the final one of the existing deal, but the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and F1 have got together to pen a two-year extension. This year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place on November 20-25.
The street circuit
Las Vegas was never going to host an Formula 1 race without part of it going down the Strip. The course was designed by Tilke GmbH, and the new street course was worked around Las Vegas Boulevard (aka the Strip), with a length of 6.201 km (3.853 mi).
Due to its extremely central location, the course takes drivers past iconic casinos like the MGM Grand, the Venetian and Caesars Palace, with spectators taking up their places in temporary seating areas.
Being an exhilarating night race for cooler temperatures, it also captures the brilliant bright lights of Las Vegas and drivers face challenges over precision and a bumpier road surface than on a dedicated race track.
Street races are known for being hosted against iconic backdrops, and places like Monaco and Las Vegas are at the forefront of that, with Baku and Singapore also on the scene. A positive of street circuits in the centre of major population hubs is that it makes it easier for people to access the racing.
The winners
Liberty Media, which owns Formula 1 and the major casinos on the Strip, are naturally the big winners from the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Thousands of people flock into town specifically for the F1 weekend, which is during a time of the year when Las Vegas is quieter on the tourist front.
So the race provides a great end-of-year boost in tourism, and those visitors want to stay as close to where the Formula 1 action is happening, so hotel rooms on the Strip are quickly booked up.
People staying on the Strip are then more likely to spend their money there, too. It’s within those Las Vegas Boulevard casinos where people will do most of their gambling, grab souvenirs, pay for attractions and of course, eat and drink. So the hotels on the Strip have a huge monopoly when Formula 1 comes to town.
The losers
But for hotels and casinos off The Strip, things are a little different because they are left out in the cold. The work that went into making changes on the Strip for the new 2023 race was massive, taking around nine months in total. That disrupted local businesses because of closures and entrances being blocked off.
A temporary bridge that was constructed to help racegoers get around to the resorts and businesses that fell within the race circuit solved one problem but created another. It helped tourists, but the bridge meant that regular foot traffic was being diverted away from small businesses around the circuit, and they suffered badly.
The changes and disruption also had an impact on local workers, particularly those in hospitality around the Strip. Because of the street circuit, local workers faced constant traffic congestion and longer commute times to get to their places of employment.
Two sides to every coin
There are always two sides to every coin, and the Las Vegas Formula 1 race is a prime example of that. For as many lovers of the sport there are, who will keenly flock to the race in one of the world’s most iconic cities, there are those locals who will wish it would go away. But it’s not, at least not any time soon, as the Las Vegas Grand Prix will definitely be around until 2027.
